Gumbel's the Problem for the NFL Network [47% Rate him Terrible, 24% Poor]

New York Times/ AOL ^ | Posted: 2007-12-31 10:48:22 | RICHARD SANDOMIR,

[proudofthesouth]

I’ll say this for him: He was so terrible the other night on the Patriots game that he put me to sleep. Thanks Bryan!

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

While 34.5 million watched the NFL Network's feed of the Patriots beating the Giants, they also saw Bryant Gumbel stumble through the telecast.

I tried to listen...I really did. But Gumbel with Collinsworth thrown into the mix...it was unbearable.
After 5 minutes I ran the video feed with the play by play coming from the local FM radio broadcast with Gil Santos and Gino Capaletti. Two gentlemen who know football and know their audience.

I wouldn't cross the street to pee on Collingsworth or Gumbel even if they were on fire.

[hometoroost]

Of those three only Greenberg is tolerable for me. I'd much rather hear Greenberg than Deion Sanders or Shannon Sharpe or Chris Collingswirth or any of a host of other athletes who have no business behind a microphone.

When Sanders was paired with Gumble for the Steelers/Rams game I couldn't even watch the highlights let alone listen to them for more than three hours. It takes a lot of work to make it unbearable to watch an NFL game but those two did it.

[JoanVarga]

Whatever happened to Greg Gumbel? He was tolerably professional, if a bit bland.

[Joe Boucher]

Gumball is a real turd if you hear how he dumped his long supportive family.

[centurion316]

Is there a category worse than “terrible”? That would be my choice.

But, for those of you who haven’t had an opportunity to view the NFL Network this season, he has gotten alot better since his first few games. And I mean ALOT BETTER. I think that I could do a better job, and I haven’t even stayed in a Holiday Inn Express.

[scott says]

NFL PING

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[Jane Austen]

“. . . one of the most talented . . .” the article says of him. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. The fact is that he is NOT talented.

[Diago]

From http://www.nbc5i.com/whattheel/14932195/detail.html

“What the El” Editorial:

Ladies, if you aren’t into football and you want to see the men around you spin out of control and go into a tirade, mention that you think Bryant Gumbel does an okay job as a commentator!

Here’s the deal for those of you who don’t know… Bryant Gumbel calls the game with Cris Collinsworth, and Bryant sucks at it.

Yes, Bryant Gumbel of “Today Show” fame who went on to host the HBO show “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.” Granted the show is good, but it’s because of the nature of the show and the reporters on it.

It’s like saying Stone Phillips is the reason Dateline is good.

Meanwhile, Bryant Gumbel has never NEVER done play-by-play before in his entire life before the NFL Network tapped his shoulder.

Play-by-play is an art, it takes skill and Bryant Gumbel doesn’t have it, but his big brother Greg Gumbel does, as a matter of fact his the sports guy in the family!

So why the NFL Network chose Bryant is beyond me… and most men…

I actually started a firestorm yesterday when I mentioned that Bryant wasn’t the worst I’d ever heard, to which most every man in the room said he was….

[NittanyLion]

In addition to his total lack of knowledge, Gumbel’s voice intonation is the same for a 2-yard run up the middle v. a 95 yard kickoff return. Just awful.

[poobear]

Out of 42+K 29,593 rated him poor to terrible! Gotta love that!

His voice sounded like a stoned Kermit the Frog.

[Red Badger]

[47% Rate him Terrible, 24% Poor]......The rest just plain don’t like him.......

[Buffettfan]

[[[Gumbel is the poster child for “affirmative action,” proof positive that standards and quality take a back seat.]]

Even a bigger idiot than Gumballs is Shannon Sharpe” of the CBS analyst team. This moron cannot even speak English properly and it is his native language. Whenever we have a gang over to watch a game and then he is analyzing it afterwards, we laugh our asses off at him. WHY in the hell would CBS hire a guy like this who speaks like he has a “mouth full of marbles”?

[BallyBill]

Not a big football fan, but I do watch important games. Since I actually have NFL Network I watched some of the Giants-Pats, I was stunned that I recognized Gumbels' voice. I swear I asked, "What in god's name is he doing on here?".

Kept thinking of a Family Guy episode.

[kempo]

I watched the whole game with the TV on mute. I’ll bet I wasn't the only one to do that.

[Diago]

Greg is still doing play by play, and yes, he is far better than Bryant:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Gumbel

Current CBS career

When CBS regained coverage of the NFL in 1998, Gumbel moved back to CBS. Gumbel was The NFL on CBS’ lead announcer between 1998 and 2003, calling two Super Bowls (alongside Phil Simms). For the 2004 NFL season, Gumbel traded positions with Jim Nantz as host of The NFL Today while Nantz would take over as lead announcer. At the end of the 2005 NFL season, Gumbel was replaced as studio host of the The NFL Today pre-game show by James Brown. He currently serves as a play-by-play announcer for The NFL on CBS alongside Dan Dierdorf.

Besides the NFL, Gumbel’s other primary work for CBS is as studio host for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament coverage. He has held this position since he moved back to CBS.

Gumbel is the third man to serve as both host and play-by-play announcer for Super Bowls (the first two were Dick Enberg and Al Michaels respectively). He hosted Super Bowls XXVI, XXX and XXXII before calling Super Bowls XXXV and XXXVIII. Jim Nantz became the fourth man to do so after he called Super Bowl XLI for CBS.

During his tenure as the chief anchor of The NFL Today he served alongside co-anchors Dan Marino, Shannon Sharpe, and Boomer Esiason. The group was known to call him by his nickname “Gumby.”

[wardaddy]

more reasons I haven’t followed pro football since Blanda

[AU72]

I watched the game with the sound turned way down.

Addition by subtraction.

[Mears]

I’m an old lady and not much of a football fan but watched the game the other night since I’m a Mass. resident.

I couldn’t stand Gumbel and I thought it was just me being my cranky old self. Glad to see I have some company.

[imd102]

Bryant Gumbel is awful. His brother Greg is great, however.

Totally agree. They picked the wrong brother for what should be the league's signature broadcast. The NFL netwrok is like watching my local high school games on public access.